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162 THE III BOOKE OF THE Cant IIII.
24
Thereto he was a doughtie dreaded knight,
Tryde often to the scath of many deare,
liiat none m equall armes him matchen
might,
The which his mother seeing, gan to feare
Least his too haughtie hardines might reare
Some hard mishap, in hazard of his life
For thy she oft him counseld to forbeare
The bloudie battell, and to stirre vp strife,
But after all his warre, to rest his weane knife
25
And for his more assurance she inquir'd
One day of Proteus by his mightie spell,
(For Proteus was with prophecie inspir'd)
Her deare sonnes destinie to her to tell,
And the sad end of her sweet Marinell
Who through foresight of his eternall skill,
Bad her from womankind to keepe him well
For of a woman he should haue much ill,
A virgin strange and stout him should dismay,
or kill
26
For thy she gaue him warning euery day,
The loue of women not to entertaine ,
A lesson too too hard for huing clay,
From loue in course of nature to reframe
Yet he his mothers lore did well retaine,
And euer from faire Ladies loue did fly ,
Yet many Ladies faire did oft complaine,
That they for loue of htm would algatcs dy
Dy, who so list for him, he was loues enimy
27
But ah, who can deceiue his destiny,
Or weene by warning to auoyd his fate ?
That when he sleepes in most security,
And safest seemes, him soonest doth amate,
And findeth dew effect or soone or late
So feeble is the powre of fleshly arme
His mother bad him womens loue to hate,
For she of womans force did feare no harme ,
So weening to haue arm'd him, she did quite
disarme
28
This was that woman, this that deadly wound,
That Proteus prophecide should him dismay,
The which his mother vainely did expound,
To be hart wounding loue, which should assav
To bring her sonne vnto his last decay
So tickle be the termes of mortall state,
And full of subtile sophismes, which do play
With double senses, and with false debate,
T'approue the vnknowen purpose of eternall
fate
29
Too true the famous Marinell it fownd,
Who through latetnall,on that wealthy Strond
Inglorious now hes in senselesse swownd,
Through heauy stroke of Brttomartis hond
Which when his mother deare did vnderstond,
And heauy tydings heard, whereas she playd
Amongst her watry sisters by a pond,
Gathering sweet daffadillyes, to haue made
Gay girlonds, from the Sun their forheads faire
to shade,
30
Eftsoones both flowres and girlonds farre away
She flong, and her faire deawy lockes yrent,
To sorrow huge she turnd her former play,
And gamesom merth to gneuous drenment
She threw her selfe downe on the Continent,
Ne word did speake, but lay as in a swowne,
Whiles all her sisters did for her lament,
Withyellingoutcnes,andwithshnekingsowne;
And euery one did teare her girlond from her
crowne
31
Soone as she vp out of her deadly fit
Arose, she bad her charet to be brought,
And all her sisters, that with her did sit,
Bad eke attonce their charets to be sought,
Tho full of bitter griefe and pensiue thought,
She to her wagon clombe, clombe all the rest,
And forth together went, with sorrow fraught
The waues obedient to their beheast,
Them yielded readie passage, and their rage
surceast
32
Great Neptune stood amazed at their sight,
Whiles on his broad round backe they softlyshd
And eke himselfe mournd at their mournfull
plight,
Yet wist not what their wailing ment, yet did
For great compassion of their sorrow, bid
His mightie waters to them buxome bee
Eftsooncs the roaring billowes still abid,
And all the gnesly Monsters of the See
Stood gaping at their gate, and wondred them
to see
33
A teme of Dolphins raunged in aray,
Drew the smooth charet of sad Cymoenl,
They were all taught by Triton, to obay
To the long raynes, at her commaundement
As swift as swallowes, on the waues they went,
Thattheirbroadflaggiefinnesnofomedidreare,
Ne bubbling roundell they behind them sent,
The rest of other fishes drawen weare,
Which with their finny oars the swelling sea did
sheare